1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector that electrically connects a flat conductor and a substrate to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, as a connector that is used in an electronic device, a connector that is mounted on a substrate and that electrically connects, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC) (such circuits are referred to as “flat conductor” in the specification and claims) and the substrate to each other is used. Since such a connector is capable of connecting the substrate and a unit in a device, such as a computer or a liquid crystal display, in various forms, such a connector is installed in many electronic devices.
As such a connector, a connector including a lock lever that includes a fastening portion that is fastened to a recessed portion of a side edge of a flat conductor is available. In a state in which the flat conductor and a terminal are electrically connected to each other, the fastening portion fastened to the recessed portion of the flat conductor to secure the flat conductor to the connector. In removing the flat conductor from the connector, an operation portion of the lock lever is previously pushed to remove the fastening portion from the recessed portion, and, in this state, the flat conductor is pulled from the connector to allow the flat conductor to be easily removed from the connector (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-59535).
The fastening portion of such a lock lever described above is connected to the operation portion, and is displaced in a direction that is the same as a pushing direction of the operation portion. Therefore, in order to remove the fastening portion from the recessed portion of the flat conductor, it is necessary to displace the operation portion by a large amount in a direction away from the flat conductor by pushing the operation portion. Therefore, when the flat conductor is inserted into the connector in a direction that is orthogonal to a plate surface of a substrate, a wide space for displacing the operation portion needs to be provided in the vicinity of the connector. In addition, when the flat conductor is inserted into the connector in a direction that is parallel to the plate surface of the substrate, a wide space for displacing the operation portion is required in a height direction of the connector. However, when other mounted components are closely disposed in the vicinity of the connector that is mounted on the substrate, such operations are difficult to perform.